Cooling system for refrigerators



Patented Jan. 2,

UNlTED s'rA'ras:

"PATENT; porno-a 1 cooLmo srs'ram FOR aamrosaa'rons John E. Cochran, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to The Crosley Corporation, Cincinnati, Ohio, a

:hpplication rear, 193:, Serial No. isass'z s Claims; to]. 62-5) My invention relates to cooling systems for refrigerators and particularly to a cooling systern for a refrigerator oi the intermittent absorption type wherein a generator. absorber is cooled'by circulating water.

In intermittent absorption r frigeration systems. it has been customary in the past, to utilize a single vessel which, during the heating cycle,

acts as a generator or-boiler. After the heating cycle is ended, the generator vessel becomes, during the period or evaporation and cooling, an absorber. With such a single vesselj it has been customary to supply a solution-of liquid refrigerant, such as ammonia, and water from which the refrigerant is boiled oii, condensed, and liquefied to liquid ammonia. The condensed liquefled refrigerant, when it expands, takes up the heat from the freezing compartment. The expanded ammonia then returns to the weak solution in the generator absorber where it is (1115- i solved in the weak solution preparatory to the j next heating cycle.

Various cooling systems have been arranged wherein a cooling coil passes through the generator absorber and water is caused to flow through the coil during the cycles of absorption. This is neccssary as the hot weak liquor will not.

otherwise absorb an adequate quantity oi! refrigerant. Such cooling systems haveordinarw ily depended ona fresh supply of. cooling water which severely limits the availability andconvenience of utilizing an intermittent absorption Dimculty has further been experienced in po sitloning coils within a generator absorber, which during the heating cycle, when the gaseous am-' mmonia is being boiled oil, and the temperature becomes sufficiently high to cause the water in thecooling coil to form steam, do not cause a hammering of steam pockets inthe cooling system.

It is the object of my invention to provide a thermo-syphon water cooling system in combination with the generator absorber of an intermittent absorption type of refrigerator which is entirely automatic in operation and which is so constructed and arranged that any steam formed in the coil will be condensed and returned to the cooling water tank without causing knocking in the pipe or the formation of pressure which either bursts the pipe or inter-;

force with an even flow of cooling water during the absorption cycle.

A iurther object of my invention is the provision of a water supply vessel so arranged with 7 tion I accomplish by that certain combination respect to the generator absorber that a fresh supply of cooling water is not required to permit the apparatus to function properly in a series of generating and evaporating cycles.

A further object is to provide a simple, safe, 6 thermostatically controlled method of cooling the weak liquor within the generator absorber at the end of a generating cycle. 7

'Another object is the provision of a cooling system fora generator absorber which will be 10 effectively cut out during the generating stage so as not to interfere with rapid generation.

The above objects and other objects to which reference will be made in the ensuing .descrlpthe generation'cycle has taken place.

At 4, there is indicated a heating. element which may be used with gas 'or oil or which may beelectrically operated.

-At 5, I have illustrated diagrammatically a thermostat which is so connected in the well known manner. in the path of heated gases from the burner'as to cause the shutting oil of the duplex valve 6 during the generation cycle, and so that a circulation of cooling water will neither heat up the entire reservoir of cooling water ordelay rapid generation. I

A tubular coil I is illustrated which passes through the walls of the generator absorber,

there being no fiat places in the coil to interfere with continuous circulation therein. Water after passing through the coil I comes out the outlet pipe 8 which, as indicated, is, by-

. passed, one branch 8 passing to the duplex valve 6 and the other branch I0. comprising a steam vent pipe which extends up over the cooling water reservoir H and passes down through the top wall of the reservoir II. The steam vent pipe is preferably provided with a discharge noz-' zle l2, having a series of small openings such as 1 of an inch, arranged inthe nozzle below the normal level of the water in the reservoir. The level or water in the reservoir is indicated at I3. 55

The reservoir may be open topped and the nozzle may be provided with a vent orifice I30 which prevents building up steam pressure. The discharge from the water reservoir Ii to the coil I isthroughapipeortubewhichpassestothe compound valve 8 so that when the valve 8 is closed the discharge from the coil to the reservoir will also be closed.

At I5, I have illustrated the pipe or tube which extends from the valve 6 through which water emerges from the coil 1 and circulates through the tank II.

At the end of the generating cycle after the liquid ammonia has been condensed and is ready to be expanded, water pasas from the reservoir II down through the pipe I4 through the valve 6 into the coil 1 out through the pipe 8, and 9 through the valve 6 up the pipe I5 and back into the reservoir. When the boiler I is not on the generation cycle the compound valve 6 is open, permitting a free thermo-syphon circulation of water from the water reservoir or tank 1I' through the coil 7.

During the heating cycle after the refrigerant has been reabsorbed in the weak liquor in the generator absorber, the burner 4 is caused to generate heat either by ignition through a pilot or otherwise. During this cycle the pressure builds up to possibly 250 to 280 lbs. per sq. inch and the temperature of the liquid in the generator absorber may reach 275 to 325 F. The thermostat 5 is effected at the start of the generating cycle and it causes the closure of the duplex valve 6 so that water cannot circulate through the pipe 9 and H5 or through the pipe I4. At the start of this heating cycle the coil I is filled with water, and as soon as any substantial quantity of ammonia vapor has been boiled oi! the temperature of the weak liquor in the generator absorber l is elevated above the boiling point of water. At this stage of the operation since the valve 8 is closed, steam forms within the coil 1 and were no other outlet provided, it would burst the coil I. I

have provided, however, the by-pass I0 preferably of reduced diameter through which the steam formed in the coil 1 passes up through the pipe Ill and down through the nozzle I2 where, in passing out through the small holes in the nozzle, the steam is condensed in the water within the reservoir II. The small orifices breaks up the flow of steam and prevents the development of any water hammering noises.

During the boiling cycle while steam is passing through the pipe I0 and is being condensed in the reservoir I I the hot water tends to remain at the top of the tank. There is no circulation within the tank and at the end of the heating cycle when the burner 4 is shut oil water which tends to be as cool as any within the reservoir I I immediately starts to flow down through the pipe I4 into the coil 1 so that rapid cooling takes place almost immediately.

Water continues to circulate through the coil 1 back into the reservoir I I until the liquid within the generator absorber has been cooled to such a point that it will readily re-absorb the expanded refrigerant gases. I have referred to the refrigerant employed in the system described, as ammonia, but it will be understood that other types of refrigerant efl'ective in an intermittent absorption system may be employed.

It will further be obvious that the cooling system which I have shown in combination with one particular type of intermittent absorption system will be equally eflective for cooling purposes in other apparatus wherein during certain cycles of operation there is sufllcient heat aflecting the cooling coils to cause the generation of steam,

- and during other cycles it is desired to cause a circulation of. cooling water through the coil without interruption.

In the event that the water valves stick or become clogged up either open or closed, there is no danger. The defective refrigeration would immediately suggest that the cooling system was not operating properly. The coil I is shown within the generator absorber. It may be formed instead as a jacket either within or surrounding the generator absorber. The coil illustrated forms a convenient heat transferring device which persnits the heat of the hot weak liquor at the end of the generating cycle to be transferred to the cooling medium, in this instance water, which reduces the temperature of the weak liquor so that it will readily absorb the gases expanded during the expansion cycle.-'

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by ietters Patent is;

1. A water cooling system for a refrigerator oi the intermittent absorption type having a generator absorber containing a cooling coil which has its normal inlet and outlet closed during the heating cycle only, a water supply reservoir, the bottom of which is above the level of the top of the generator absorber, a tube extending from the reservoir to the inlet at the bottom of said coil, a tube extending from the outlet of said coil to the reservoir and connected thereto above the bottom thereof, and means for venting steam formed in said coil and for condensing said steam comprising a branch tube extending fromsaid last noted tube and having a discharge nozzle extending below the normal water level in said reservoir.

2. In combination with a thermo-syphon water cooling system in a refrigerator of the intermittent absorption type in which water circulates through a heat transferring device consisting of a coil associated with a generator absorber, a supply of water, means for cutting off the circulation of water in said heat transferring device during generating cycles, and means for exhausting and condensing steam formed in said coil during the generating cycles, comprising a tube extending from said coil and having the discharge end of said tube immersed in, said water supply. 3. In combination with a. thermo-syphon water cooling system in a refrigerator of the intermittent absorption type having a generator absorber and a water reservoir, means for establishing a flow of cooling water through a coil in the generator absorber during evaporation cycles, means for inhibiting the flow of cooling water from said water reservoir during generating cycles, and means for venting steam formed in said coil during cycles of generation, said means comprising a vent tube extending from said coil and having the discharge end of said tube immersed in the water of the reservoir of said cooling system.

JOHN E. COCHRAN. 

